An American citizen was found guilty on Wednesday of operating the US's “first known secret police station” on behalf of the Chinese government in Manhattan's Chinatown, the BBC reports.
A jury found that Lu Jianwang, 64, opened and ran the branch in Manhattan's Chinatown district in early 2022 for China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
He is accused of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the Chinese government in connection with the ward and obstruction of justice.
Lu was arrested in the case in April 2023 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. The jury in federal court in Brooklyn reached the verdict after a week-long trial.
Jianwang, a New York resident also known as Harry Lu, faces up to 30 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Lu was operating in an office building in Chinatown. He began by helping Chinese nationals living in New York renew their driver's licenses, which is a felony in itself if not reported to US authorities, according to US prosecutors.
Lu is also accused of helping the Chinese government track down a pro-democracy activist who was living in California.
“Let this verdict send a message to other foreign agents that the FBI remains unwavering in its determination to uncover and disrupt the clandestine operations of hostile nations,” FBI Deputy Director James Barnacle said in a statement.
What are Chinese secret police stations
At least 100 such stations have been reported in 53 countries worldwide. Activists in human rights groups accuse China of using such outposts to threaten and monitor Chinese citizens abroad, as well as to help Beijing identify pro-democracy activists living in the US.
China has denied the existence of these police stations, saying they are actually “service stations” that provide administrative services to overseas citizens.
The Chinatown station, which occupied an entire floor above a ramen stand in New York City, was closed in the fall of 2022 after the FBI launched an investigation.
